QI-TRAINING (QIGONG) ENHANCED IMMUNE FUNCTIONS: WHAT IS THE UNDERLYING MECHANISM?

• Published in: International journal of neuroscience Vol. 115; no. 8; pp. 1099 - 1104
• Main Authors: LEE, MYEONG SOO, KIM, MO KYUNG, RYU, HOON
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Informa UK Ltd 01.08.2005; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Breathing Exercises; Cell Communication - drug effects; Cell Communication - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genistein - administration & dosage; Genistein - pharmacology; GH antibody; growth hormone; Growth Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Growth Inhibitors - pharmacology; Health Promotion; Human Growth Hormone - antagonists & inhibitors; Human Growth Hormone - blood; Humans; Immune System - drug effects; Immune System - physiology; Learning; Male; Miscellaneous; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine - pharmacology; Neutrophils - metabolism; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; qigong; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signal Transduction - physiology; Time Factors; tyrosin kinase; Human; Enzyme; Transferases; Somatotropin hormone; GH antibody; Immunity; Protein hormone; Relaxation; tyrosin kinase; qigong; Adenohypophyseal hormone; Kinase; Dragging; growth hormone
• ISSN: 0020-7454; 1563-5279; 1543-5245
• DOI: 10.1080/00207450590914347

The authors observed that Qi-training enhances immune function and modulates neurohormone concentrations. The exact signal and priming mechanism for enhanced neutrophil function by Qi-training has not yet been demonstrated. This study investigated the effect of Qi-training on intracellular signaling leading to the enhancement of immune function. The growth hormone (GH) concentrations and O2− production by neutrophils (PMNs) was significantly increased after 1 h of Qi-training compared with the basal state. To verify that endogenous GH mediates the priming of PMNs, serum obtained from elderly subjects in the basal state and after Qi-training was incubated with neutrophils isolated from young subjects for 60 min and triggered with N-formyl-1-methionyl-1-leucyl-1-phenylalanine (fMLP). Significant O2− production was observed in the PMNs incubated with serum collected after a Qi-training (p < .05). On the other hand, the priming effect on the PMNs was abolished in Qi-training sera depleted of endogenous GH with anti-human GH polyclonal antibody (p < .01) and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein (p < .01). The authors suggest that the endogenous GH released during and immediately after Qi-training mediates the priming events through tyrosine kinase activation in PMNs.